Adjustable wrench or pliers



G. F. COLLEY ADJUSTABLE WRENCH OR PLIERS Filed Dec. 3, 1943 May 1, 1945.

' Patented May 1, 1945 George F.

Colley, Augusta, Ga., assignor to Wad R. Beddingfield, Augusta, Ga.

Application December 3, 1943, Serial No. 512,705

2 Claims.

adjustable wrench or pliers having a handle member provided with a slot having notches in one edge thereof, and having a downturned jaw" at one end and having a slidably mounted jaw mounted on the handle member, the jaw having an eccentric cavity in each side thereof with a second or forked handle member having eccentrics thereon fitting into the eccentric cavities with a cam bolt penetrating the second handle member and penetrating the eccentrics on the second handle, and penetrating the slot in the first handle member so that when the second handle member is swung at approximately right angles to the first handle member, the slidable jaw can be adjusted along the first-mentioned handle member, and when the second handle member is moved on the cam bolt as a pivot, the slidable jaw will be moved towards the first-named jaw on the first handle member to hold the two jaws in fixed position by pressure of the handles and aided by the cam bolt.

It is another object of this invention to provide an adjustable wrench or'pliers which can be quickly adjusted to fit different types of nuts, bolts, or other objects, and which can beheld in closed position without the necessity of a continuous grip being exerted on the handles toforce them towards each other as in the case of a pair of ordinary pliers.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the device;

Figure 2 is a view of the reverse side of the device as shown in Figure 1, showing only the lefthand portion of the device as it appears in Figure 1, and showing the pivoted handle in raised position;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 33 in Figure 1; 1

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken alon the line 4-4 in Figure 3, omitting the bolt;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 55 in Figure 4, omitting the bolt;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the cam bolt penetrating the two handles;

Figure '7 is an enlarged end elevation of the bolt shown in Figure 6, and looking from the righthand side of Figure 6 and towards the left;

Figure 8 is a longitudinal Vertical sectional view taken through the first handle member at the point where the cam bolt penetrates the same;

Referring more specifically to the drawing, the numeral l0 indicates the first handle member which has a longitudially disposed slot 1 I therein provided with a plurality of approximately semicircular cavities l2 along its upper edge. The left-hand end of .the member 10 slopes downwardly, and has a jaw [3 which is serrated as at [4.

Slidably mounted onthe handle member I0 is.

a member which encircles the member 10, and is slidably mounted therearound, and has a downwardly depending jaw l6 havingserrations I] in its left-hand face as shown in Figure l. The two side portions of the member l5 have elliptical cavities l8 and I9 therein into which eccentric portions and 2| are adapted to loosely fit.

ing penetrating its free end and the eccentric portion 20; whereas, a round hole 26 penetrates the end of fork member 23 andtheeccentric 2|. A bolt 30 is adapted to hold the handle members in a pivoted position by penetrating the fork member 22 and 23 and the slot H in handle member H). The bolt30 has a rounded portion 3! which is adapted to fit into hole 26 and has a squared portion 32 which is adapted to fit in hole 25. A nut 33 is adapted to be threadably fitted onto threaded portion 34 of the bolt. The central portion of the bolt 30 is oval-shaped in cross section, and forms a cam, this portion of the bolt being designated by reference charactertfi,

In operation, the device works as follows, when it is desired to adjust the-jaws l3 and I6 apart from each other a definite distance, the pivoted handle member 24 is moved to approximately the position shown in Figure 2, and in this position, the cam portion 36 of the bolt 30 occupies a position turned ninety degrees from that shown in Figure 8, and in this position, the thin portion of the cam is so arranged that the cam can slide along in the slot II. When the slidable jaw 15 has been adjusted to not quite the desired closeness to jaw 14, then the handle 24 is pivoted towards the handle 10, and the upper portion of cam 36 enters one of the cavities I2, and the lower portion of the cam fits against the lower edge of the slot I l, and this, due to the eccentrics 20 and 2| on the forks 22 and 23, further advances the slidable member I5 towards the jaw l3, and when the handles 24 and Ill occupy the position shown in Figure 1 where they can be easily gripped by the hand of the operator, the cam 36 is occupying the position shown in Figure 8, thus locking the slidable member IS with its jaw ll against movement in either direction, and any stresses exerted by the jaw while turning a bolt, nut, or any other object is directed against the bolt 30 and not against the pivoted handle 24.

If it is desired to use the tool as apair of pliers, the slidable member I5 can be so adjusted that when the jaws I3 and I6 engage the object, the handle 24 will not be moved as far in a, clockwise manner as shown in Figure 1, and the hand of the operator can press the handles together to hold the jaws against the object, and in this manner the tool canbe used as a pair of pliers.

In the drawing and specification, there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, theya're used in a generic and descriptive sense only 'andnot for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. A hand tool adapted to be used in an adjustable wrench or pliers comprising a handle member having a longitudinally and transversely disdisposed slot therein, and having a downturned portion on one end serving as a jaw, a slidable jaw member mounted on the handle and encircling that portion having the slot therein, and having a downwardly projecting jaw portion adapted to cooperate with the jaw on the handle, said slot in the-handle having a plurality of cavities in its upper edge, th slidable jaw member having on each side thereof an elliptical hole, a forked handle member having eccentric portions on its proximate surfaces adapted to fit into the elliptical holes inthe slidable jaw member, a bolt penetrating the two forks of the forked handle, and penetrating in an eccentric manner the eccentric cams on the proximate surfaces of the forked handle member, one end of said bolt being fixedly and non-turnably secured in one of the forks of the forked handle member, and penetrating said slot in the first handle member,

said bolt being oval in cross-section at that portion which is disposed in the slot, so that when the forked handle is disposed at approximately, right angles to the first handle, the bolt with thel slidable jaw can be moved longitudinally of thel first handle, and when the forked handle is pivoted at its free end towards the free end of the first handle, one edge of the oval-shaped portion of the bolt will engage in the cavities in the upper edge of the slot, and its lower portion will fit against the lower portion of the slot to advance the slidable jaw towards the first-named jaw,

and while the forked handle is held in close proximity to the first-named handle, the slidable jaw will be locked in position.

2. An adjustable wrench comprising a, handle member having a jaw thereon, and having a longitudinally disposed slot therein provided with a plurality of cavities in its upper edge, having a jaw on one end thereof, a slidably mounted member on the handle member and having a downwardly projecting jaw, a pivoted forked handle member rotatably secured on the slidable member, and having an eccentrically disposed bolt penetrating both ends of the forked handle member and said slot, the slidable member having holes therethrough, and the forked handle member having holes therethrough for the reception of a bolt, the ends of the forked handle member having eccentric cam portions surrounding said bolt and fittin into the holes in the slidable member, the bolt at that portion coinciding with the slot being oval-shaped in crosssection, so that when the forked handle member is pivoted towards the first'handle member, the slidable member will be advanced towards the law on the first handle member, and the central portion of the bolt will engage the cavities in the upper edge of the notch and will also engage the lower surface of the notch.

his GEORGE F. X COLLEY.

mark

Witness his mark:

' JASQB. MULHERIN. E. T. DONNELLY. 

